Data collection is the most important and valuable step in all scientific research. Data can be called the backbone of any research and is also the basis on which researchers decide how to complete research. Moreover, it’s the data that measures the effectiveness of a methodology. We can achieve the best results using authentic and highly qualitative data in qualitative research.
In the quantitative study, we mostly have data that describe human emotions, states and actions. Or in some cases how people of a certain area lived and what type of rituals they had. So when we have qualitative data that do not have strong figures, we must ensure that the data is authentic. Its source must be reliable and can generate data relevant to the problem statement. Most scientists and researchers conduct their qualitative research by conducting interviews, through surveys or observations. All these methods are reliable in some cases, but there is a much more interesting and effective method named participant diaries.
What are participant diaries:
Participant diaries are data collection methods for qualitative research in which diaries are distributed among the people to record their daily life experiences about the research. It means all the participants that participate in the participant diaries method are given a diary, and they have to write their experience about any particular segment or feeling of the day in this diary over time. Participant diary is a method of qualitative data collection and is also known as self-report. The participant diaries method is the more reliable method than surveys and interviews. However, still many students get stuck in the process and prefer to get dissertation help online when working on it.
Cons of conducting surveys and interviews:
- In conducting surveys and interviews, there is a risk that the people will provide wrong information. Most of the time, interviews are conducted face to face, so there is a risk of wrong information from the participant because they may not be willing to disclose their personal information and experience. However, in the case of the online survey, this risk lessens.
- In conducting surveys and interviews, there can be a situation where the researcher cannot ask relevant questions.
- In interviews, conflicts can arise between the interviewer and the participant.
- Moreover, during interviews and surveys, participants do not have enough time for writing and interviews. There is also a risk with the surveys that the participant does not read the instructions clearly before filling out the survey.
How participant diaries are better than other methods
In participant diaries, we give diaries to all the participants so they can write their experiences and emotions on them. This personal experience is somehow more authentic and close to the participant’s heart because they write it in diaries whenever they feel the emotion or feeling. On the other hand, interviews and surveys are a bit like inquiries, and the participant may not answer them heartly.
Types of participant diaries method.
There are many other ways to conduct participant diaries.
- The most general method is to give users a diary so they can note their experiences and feelings at any time of the day. If you find that people have to write about themselves on the go, give them a diary that can fit in their pocket. On the other hand, if they have to write a detailed analysis of their situations, then gift them a nice exercise diary so they can write detailed content. You can also give them a beautiful pencil as a gift.
- You can also design voice diaries. Because sometimes, we have noticed that people get so attached to their diaries that we have to transcript from diaries. So in these cases, you can give them voice recorders so that they can record their voice whenever you ask them to record their experience. This can be a good option because you can easily buy budget-friendly recorders from the market, and after data collection, you can give these recorders to your participants as gifts. This method is more useful when you have to record people’s experiences living in rural areas. So if they cannot write, they can record their voices.
- Collection of data for qualitative study through participant diaries can be conducted using blogs and social media posts of people. It is somehow can be a more efficient and reliable method because we collect data from blogs and posts that people upload on their social media platforms. In some cases, this data can be more authentic because people share the content of their own will on social media, and there are chances that it is correct. On the other hand, because the trend of fan following is increasing on social media platforms, this data can be manipulated too.
Guidelines for conducting participant diaries:
No matter which method of data collection you use, it’s important to consider the following rules.
- To explain to the participants which type of data they have to write, always maintain a face-to-face session. Guidelines can be given using mobile or any other communication medium, but face-to-face interaction is best. During it, you can define requirements, and participants also have full leverage to ask a question and clear doubts.
- You can also write guidelines on the first page of the diary in case of participant dairies, and in case of voice recording, you can provide a page with instructions. Make sure to define all the requirements clearly and concisely.
What you can do as a researcher while conducting participant diaries:
While the participants are writing in their diaries, you can also write your diary to include all the difficulties you face during data collection. This will help you in writing your methodology.
Summary:
The participant diaries method is an effective method of data collection in which data is collected by giving diaries to the participant, and they note their experience and emotions on the diaries according to the guidelines provided by the researcher. This is the most effective and reliable qualitative data collection method than interviews and surveys in which participants get a chance to give their personal information. There are different methods by which you can conduct participant surveys.